Roanoke College Environmental Science students get knee deep into citizen science with Clean Valley

Salem. Va. (WFXR) – Roanoke College Environmental Science students had to opportunity to learn that the best classroom can often be found in nature and the most insightful lessons experienced through community collaboration.

The student’s Environmental Studies Assistant Professor, Chelsea Peters tasked them to be environmental consultants for the day with Clean Valley Council. The student’s goal was to provide the city of Salem with information about the health of Roanoke River.

They are assessing the water quality through chemistry, discharge, which is stream flow and the Benthic macroinvertebrates and then they’re also looking for signs for flood risk. CHELSEA PETERS, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Benthic macroinvertebrates as they are known are the small aquatic animals found living in the bottoms of streams. These species allow students to learn the degree of water pollution, but from an outside view it’s an epic science scavenger hunt. One that Roanoke College Senior, Callie Hammer says helps them better understand what they’re learning in the classroom.

I’m really grateful because if I had to learn about water quality and things like that in the classroom I might not understand it as much as I do. Being out here actually doing this is an experience that I’ll never forget and so it’s really neat to have this kind of skill-set. CALLIE HAMMER, ROANOKE COLLEGE SOCIOLOGY MAJOR, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MINOR

It was a beautiful day outside filled with tangible lessons, all made possible through collaboration.

We need the students to connect what they’re learning in the classroom to the real world. This is a stakeholder that does the science that we teach them in the classroom and so by building the partnership they can see the science at work in the community, they can learn about potential career opportunities, they can feel engaged with the local surrounding environment, and that’s super important in an environmental science course. CHELSEA PETERS, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ASSISTANT PROFESSOR